Xueni Yang
Xueni Yang is a Chinese-born, Prague-based dancer, actress, and writer-director with roots in classical Chinese and contemporary dance. Trained in China, the U.S., and Europe - including with Shen Wei Dance Arts - she bridges dance, physical theatre, and screen performance. Her movement practice, shaped by both rigor and spontaneity, informs works across stage and film, from immersive theatre in Beijing to music videos and films in New York and Prague. Active internationally, Xueni directs for screen, performs across mediums, and develops choreography that empowers performers to unlock expressive presence through the body.
WORKSHOP OVERVIEW
Chinese Body Rhythm Workshop (身韵)
This class introduces the foundational principles of Shenyun (身韵) - the core aesthetic and movement language of Chinese classical dance - through embodied exploration and expressive movement. Designed for performers, movers, and curious learners, this session unpacks the essential elements of Chinese body rhythm: form, expressive intent, directional force, rhythm, breath (Qi), and artistic intention. Participants will explore circular and spiral movements through sitting and standing exercises, gradually building toward full-body expression. Key movement vocabularies such as rise and sink (提沉), thrust and lean (冲靠), withdraw and reveal (含腆), horizontal gliding (横移), and cloud-like shoulder spirals (云肩转腰) are introduced and layered with emotional and spatial intention. With an emphasis on breath-led flow and musicality of the body, this practice cultivates expressive subtlety, emotional contrast, and refined control - bridging classical aesthetics with contemporary performance sensibilities. Continuous practice will help improve consistency and emotional texture in slow movements. No prior dance experience is required. Movements are broken down for accessibility.
Techniques focused on:
• Body Rhythm basic moves
• Waist as the initiation
• Chinese Circular steps
• Weight shift
• Circular movement
• Breathing integration with movements
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